1. no real chapters, sorry!!!

I must look stupid. I’m standing in a tarmac playground, looking lost. New school, new life…new me? God, my life is so messed up. What with my dysfunctional family, Crazy best friend back in Wales and my nutty twin, no, I shouldn’t say that. See, Acacia has epilepsy and multiple personality’s syndrome which kind of makes her hard to be around. Then our dad and mum treat her specially, which makes Ace feel patronised, and me left out. I think about this morning when Mum let Ace have her pocket money in advance but I wasn’t allowed. I shouted and called ace spoiled and stupid. Needless to say, she wasn’t overjoyed. She threw an apple at me.

Anyway there I was standing there looking like a complete dumbo (Ace goes to a special school) when this tall, Blonde haired girl walks purposefully up to me. “Are you Olive Gramophone?” she asks. This is something I have to deal with all the time, people getting my name wrong. ”No, I’m Olathe Grarterfum. Olathe means beautiful, lovely. My dad’s polish, so my surname is polish too.” I bet I’ll have heard it at least fifty times before the day is out.

“Oh! I see… Any way, I am Ulrika (Which means ruler off all) and I’m going too show you too all your classes.” And then she smiles, and I laugh.

First is Geography, then French. It’s break then, and all the girls, and quite a lot off all the boys are crowding round me and Ulrika (She’s really funny, and clever, too) and demand too know as much about me as possible! I start by telling them about my friends, hobbies and weird favourite things. From Acting to Apes, and Zoology to Zara clothes, The Sarmbre Academy year sevens now know it all! After that is drama (my favourite lesson!) and Food Tech, which is what they call cooking. Now we have lunch. “Come on, it’s fun in the quad, Because it’s year sevens only! Or we can eat first? Your choice!” Ulrika asks. “Deffo not the pig sty!” says a tall year 9 who is Ulrika’s sister, and is also blonde. “That quad bans Year nines like me!” and she pulls a puppy face.

Rika (Ulrika’s new nickname, courtesy of moi) Grabs my hand and pulls me away, calling over her shoulder, “Good!” But just before We get too the quad door, Miss O’Mahoney steps in front of us and says, “Ah, Olathe, I’ve been looking for you!” She looks deathly serious and suddenly all that happiness fizzles and goes flat. “No, please, tell me it’s not Acacia!” But Miss Nods and this tight ball off fear seizes me like I’ve just been electrocuted. I slump to the floor, all the excitement gone.

Acacia means symbol of immortality, but the last time Acacia had a fit, the doctor said the next would probably be her last. She was only ten. That was last year. I feel sick from my peach-painted toenails to the tips off my ginger hair. I have had to go my whole life knowing that acacia was different. She goes to a different school, wears different things, talks differently and acts differently. But it took me a long time to realize that that wasn’t normal. She was ill, they told me. The type of ill that doesn’t get better. I was 8. I’ve never got over that. It took a long time for me to stop tiptoeing around, scared that if I upset her, she’d die. I understand now that that won’t happen, but when she gets ill that feeling comes back only ten times worse. I’m scared. I’m really scared.

“You can go in now, Miss Grarterfum. She’s waiting.” The nurse tells me, but she has to steer me to the door because I’m shaking and the tears have blinded me. When I do go in, I can’t take my eyes off the life support machine, not that there’s much else to look at. It’s Only me and Ace, as always. I sit down the tears are welling up but I can’t let myself cry, so I blink them back. “Don’t go! I need you! Please, I’ve always loved you, even if I complain! You’re my best friend, and my sister! I really need you! You’re not spoiled, vindictive, or manipulative! I was angry when I said those things! Please, I’m sorry!” and though I’m probably just dreaming, and the tears have almost blinded me, but I could almost swear she’s smiling.

THREE MONTHS LATER!

It’s three months later, and Acacia is much better! I’ve made really good friends with Ulrika, and she’s coming over tomorrow. Ace has made friends too, and a girl called Delia can’t stop phoning! Mum and Dad are starting to notice me more, because I’ve started the flute! Not every thing is perfect, but nothing really is… besides. I’ve got ace now and that’s all anyone really needs. Ace. Just Ace.